St Elmo Living — Local services in Austin

UPDATED 2/25

DO NOT LIVE HERE!! DO NOT!! No matter how they lower their prices.

DO NOT TRUST ANY of the reviews of 4 stars or more. I KNOW the individuals giving 5 stars and they are doing it under pressure from management.

Because of this review I originally posted in July 2024, the present management targeted and retaliated.Somehow they found a way to get me to move out before the end of my lease claiming I had violated one of the HUNDREDS of subsections. They didn’t give me the opportunity to respond or ‘ cure’ the alleged violation as they were supposed to have. They immediately threatened me with eviction if I didn’t leave. I fought back and we came to an agreement that I would be leaving 2 months ( 2 MONTHS, really?) before my lease ended. I had ZERO intention of renewing mind you. While I won’t go into the ‘ violation’ they cited ( wasn’t for noise or parties or damage or not paying rent), their attorney admitted to me that my review was the reason they came after me. At the same time I received a threatening letter from their attorneys that if I didn’t delete my honest review -,which is based upon fact & my experiences and doesn’t violate the terms set out by Google for reviews - that they would SUE me for libel & or defamation! That’s how outrageous management is here. I know 2 people who’ve had their reviews DISAPPEAR & they did not personally delete them.

There are dozens of other reviews that are as equally bad & are completely accurate. A few recent reviews are unusually’ positive’. Hmm?? Coincidence? Or is something else going on? They are overly effusive but don’t cite any ‘ specifics ‘ of why this place is SOOOO great to live in

In the remaining months I lived here there were constant incidents where police officers were called. The outer door to the building was broken & remained unlocked for over a week allowing anyone to enter. They are towing residents cars on purpose.

The new Pins Mechanical opened last weekend. Cars parked all over the sidewalks & no spaces left for guests. Noise is so loud . 2 friends that live across from this place heard noise all the time

Constant break ins in the parking garage that they expect people to pay $75/month for. New management team that took over in late February is atrocious. They are full of excuses and zero accountability. After hundreds of complaints management finally hired new security and break ins and thefts have fallen . However, we would not have had security if people did not protest. When you approach management they act like you’re bothering them and if you challenge them on any level they threaten you with evictions ( which is hollow and illegal but it’s a sick way to treat the paying residents). Dog poop is all over the grounds - which says more about the residents. But if you bring it up to management it’s ’ crickets‘. Several residents dogs have gotten ill because of how unsanitary it’s become. There have been incidents of dogs getting loose in the pool and dogs biting other dogs and residents. They put together this ' dog park ' after dozens of complaints . There is no separate area where small dogs can play so everyone is lumped together. This causes issues because some dogs are kind of skittish and do not want to play with the bigger dogs. Speaking of unsanitary, trash is left to pile up outside in the hot sun constantly. Yet they charge you $25 / month for the ‘ service ‘. I’m already looking to move out before my lease ends. This company needs to be fired in my opinion Management is sending residents offers of rent discount for referrals but NO ONE would ever refer someone to live here with the current management in charge. When residents do look to renew management either attempts to RAISE their rent OR does not offer any form of renewal discount. Yet there are prices on the website that are often HUNDREDS of dollars less for the same unit. What is management solution? MOVE TO A DIFFERENT unit to get...

Final Update: I will give Westdale a lot of credit here. They've definitely taken to heart the tenants concerns regarding safety and community upkeep. There has been security on site every night as of last month and the communication from management has improved greatly.

I appreciate management taking safety seriously and making some very helpful improvements. Since then crime on the property has gone way down and I feel much safer walking around at night and for my vehicle. Feeling hopeful for their team continuing to make this property a great place to live in Austin.

Updated Review: It's sad that I've had to lower my initial review of this property, but I feel it's imperative to do so with a new management team.

Since Westdale has taken over we've seen maintenance of the property overall decline quite a bit. Communication via email to tenants is next to none. We've had break-in's, suspicious people on the property, elevators and door's broken for a month+ at times and never once an email letting us know. A simple heads up that they're aware and working towards addressing these security concerns could go a long way. Since they seem to turn a blind eye to our concerns, this seems to be the only way to confidently address them and warn others.

I've loved living here for the most part, the community is great and the location is perfect. It's just frustrating to see crime rise and safety protocols fall to the way side for what I'm assuming is only to save money. For the rent charged here, there should of been no reason to let security go.

If they do a better job moving forward with notifying tenants, improving the security around the complex and being more transparent with future improvements then I'm happy to raise my review back up. This complex has a lot of potential and the old mgmt team really did a fantastic job bringing it to life and making us feel safe.

The new owner's need to do the same. It's important to feel safe where you live, and that should always be top priority above all else for any management company.

With all sincerity, I can say that this apartment complex has the most personable and caring front office staff I've ever encountered. They've been incredibly helpful over the past few months and they truly care which is something that can be very hard to come by at apartments. The maintenance staff is also extremely professional, kind and have been quick to address any issues I've had.

The apartments themselves are modern, spacious, have great layouts and the location in town is very convenient. There is on-site security and they have been making updates to ensure safety is a top priority.

The only downside I can think of is the construction nearby can be quite loud at night, but this is out of the hands of St. Elmo and also won't be permanent.

If you're considering moving to a new place in Austin I highly recommend looking into St. Elmo. Their apartments are super modern, safe, and the property management staff is incredible. Looking forward to living here for as...

DO NOT MOVE HERE — YOUR LIFE AND SANITY WILL BE AT STAKE

Living at St. Elmo has been nothing short of a nightmare. Management is negligent, dismissive, and utterly unconcerned with resident safety.

On 5/20, an unhoused man broke into the building, discharged a fire extinguisher throughout the hallways and stairwells, and left behind toxic chemicals that lingered over night. Residents, including myself, were forced to breathe in this hazardous residue overnight because management couldn’t be bothered to clean it up in a timely manner. The fumes were so bad the building had to prop doors open just to get fresh air.

What’s worse? A resident called security BEFORE it happened, warning that this man had been seen carrying the extinguisher into the building. Security did nothing. Zero action. Zero prevention.

Multiple homeless men have followed several women around the property, including me. Screaming at me, following me, cussing me out, and calling me names while I was attempting to relax in the pool. I literally had to run and ask strangers for help. This is what passes for “safety” at St. Elmo.

Another night, my front door wouldn’t close or lock. I called the emergency maintenance line three times, clearly stating I am a woman living alone and feared for our safety. No one showed up. Not even after a man attempted to break in at 4 a.m., violently kicking and banging on our door. Still — nothing. To make things worse, our neighbor had an attempted break in once AGAIN this week!

We’ve asked multiple times over the past 3–4 months for the Building B gate codes to be changed. So have our neighbors. The man who caused the 5/20 incident was seen exiting Building B again, so clearly nothing has been done. This was entirely preventable if management had acted when first asked.

Their response? “St. Elmo does not warrant security of any kind.”

Let that sink in. A complex where break-ins, stalking, chemical vandalism, and 911 calls have all happened in the past few weeks alone — and their stance is: you’re on your own.

We’ve filed 911 complaints, along with many neighbors. I know of 8 individuals looking to break their lease and pay thousands of dollars just for their own safety. Why should we pay for THEIR negligence?? Management has ignored every opportunity to make this right. We’ve begged to be let out of our lease because we no longer feel safe, and still — radio silence.

This is not just poor management — this is willful negligence. If you’re thinking of signing a lease here, run in the other direction. We’re done fighting to feel safe in...